Michael Garibaldi works in Earthforce Security for the ice-mining operation on Europa. After several weeks on the job, Garibaldi begins to drink heavily almost every night and eventually befriends shuttle pilot Frank Kemmer, who invites him to spend a lot of time with his family, including his daughter Lianna. Lianna takes to calling him "Uncle Mike", and is often disappointed when Garibaldi turns up drunk.

Frank Kemmer is killed in a shuttle pad explosion designed to disgrace Garibaldi, who had been making headway against the corruption at the outpost. Wishing to avoid a scandal, Earthforce officially finds Garibaldi negligent regarding the explosion and transfers him off station.[4]

Leo Rosen becomes convinced that his wife Sheila is having an affair with his brother Alex, in spite of their denials. The rest of the family sides with them and Leo becomes estranged.[5]

Stephen Franklin graduates from Harvard University. Impatient at the prospect of a long medical internship, Franklin opts to leave Earth and begins hitch-hiking on starships, trading his services as ship's doctor for free passage.[1][7][8] While passing through Septis, Franklin befriends a Markab Doctor named Lazarenn and develops a taste for a native fruit drink called orcha.[9][10]

On Earth, Squadron Leader Jeffrey Sinclair is assigned to train Earthforce Academy cadets at Air Dome. He first meets Cadet Catherine Sakai and immediately takes her breath away when he executes a hairpin backwards loop followed by a spinning barrel roll which almost causes her to black out. After the flight she angrily accuses him of being a dangerous show-off, to which Sinclair responds that she wouldn't cut it as a pilot and is very close to insubordination. They both soon realise it was love at first sight and begin living together. Catherine soon becomes acquainted with Sinclair's love for Tennyson.

Dr. Robert Bryson begins his lifelong search to extend human life beyond the 110 – 115 years current Earth medicine can achieve. In his exploration of alien worlds and cultures he picks up references to Soul Hunters, that will eventually lead him to one of their Whisper Galleries.[15]

While hitch-hiking aboard the commercial trading ship Archimedes off Beta Durani, Stephen Franklin assists in helping the surviving passengers and crew of a Minbari vessel that crashed on nearby Theta 49. Though he does his best, Stephen lacks even a basic understanding of Minbari biology and is unable to save any of them. Still eager to learn anything he can, Franklin talks Captain Bickford into allowing him to perform full autopsies, gathering extensive medical data and making detailed notes on their DNA and biology as well as what little he could pick up about their language and culture.[18][19]

Through her strong support for the cause of Mars independence, Amanda Carter meets and falls in love with Abel Horn. He convinces her to join Free Mars, a young—and then non-violent—organization dedicated to Martian independence.[22]